These days, manufacturers are so keen to sell electric cars, they’ll tell prospective buyers just about anything.

According to French firm, Bolloré, whose mission is to bring electric cars to the capital, Londoners may even seek romantic solace in these tiny battery-powered city cars.

Bolloré, is launching an unnamed scheme in the capital which allows drivers to rent a red car for as little as £10 per hour.

In preparation for the scheme’s first 50 cars, Bolloré has taken over the Source London charging network, with the aim to allow a fleet of 3,000 battery-powered Bolloré cars on the road by 2018, to make use of 6,000 planned charging points across the city.

The new red electric cars were unveiled to the public for the first time this month and are part of a £100M project to turn London into a ‘greener driving’ city and improve its toxic air.

But before the scheme had even been launched, a company spokesman was quoted saying he expected the new cars to prove most popular with young people, who could use the red cars for just about anything, including making love! However, it was made clear at launch that this had been a ‘joke’ lost in translation.

The red cars come with four seats, a decent city car-sized boot, satellite navigation and a range of 150 miles. However, first impressions of the car are hardly awe-inspiring. Despite the exterior being designed by the same team who works on Ferrari, it lacks the style and appeal of its more expensive relation.

Furthermore, the faux leather seats and cramped interior will not appeal to many London commuters looking for an escape from the heat and a car with some degree of curb appeal, let alone sex appeal!

Inevitably, motorists are going to find it hard to trade in their Range Rovers in exchange for an inner-city runabout, but the appeal of the new red cars is that they are nippy and will save customers a packet in fuel bills.

Some of the immediate benefits to owning a red car is that its fast, its quick off the lights making it a good companion when in heavy traffic and it boasts a good amount of boot space.

The car has already proved popular in Paris where 200,000 users have already signed up to own one in the past 4 years

Vincent Bolloré, the chief executive of Bolloré Group, said that the new model would be an “electric car for the people” that would also reduce pollution.